


The Duplicitous Dealings of Tempest and Teacup

by ChuckHedge



Series: The Domino Effect [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-10-14 10:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10534188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChuckHedge/pseuds/ChuckHedge
Summary: Jason Grace is the long suffering owner of Tempest, the most diabolical cat in existence, at least according to Leo after his second near death experience at the paws of his friend's very small pet.Nico di Angelo is the accidental owner of Teacup, a sweet ball of fur that came in through a window one night and never really left, much to Hazel's delight.Little do they know, Tempest and Teacup are the same cat.All of that changes when one day, Tempest comes home with a collar that Jason most certainly did not put on him. In fact, he thought such a feat was impossible. On the heart shaped tag of the collar is the word Teacup and a phone number.





	1. Out of all the ways we could have met

Jason set his keys down on the entryway table and dropped his book bag by the door. Besides the dull thud that was six textbooks hitting Hera's polished granite flooring, the house was otherwise silent.

Jason narrowed his eyes.

It was the type of silence recognizable to all pet owners, the kind of silence that could only mean one thing.

Yes, someone was up to something, and that someone was Tempest.

Sighing under his breath, Jason started to slowly case the house. There was nowhere to hide in the foyer, but the house was huge; Hera refused to live in anything less than a mansion. Tempest could be anywhere, doing any number of terrible things. Like property damage. Jason shuddered just thinking about the time his cat broke Jupiter's bottle of Chateau Margaux. Four thousand dollars worth of wine all over the floor and soaked into Tempest's white fur. When Jupiter walked into the room, his expression thunderous, the broken glass crunching under his boots like some kind of ode to the end, Jason was sure he was dead. Him and his little cat too.

Besides property damage, the other terrible thing Tempest was a pro at was engineering dangerous situations. On the more benign end it was creating tripping hazards and batting objects in high places just this side of precarious. On the more dangerous end, Tempest once created a fire hazard by chewing on a lamp's electrical cord and nobody noticed until it was too late. Thankfully the only thing to go up in flames was a set of window curtains, but it was a close call with lots of screaming and the judicious use of several fire extinguishers and a visit from the fire department.

Just thinking about the possibilities made Jason pick up speed in his search. Combing the house for a miscreant cat was the last thing he wanted to do on a Friday afternoon. He was a little sore from lacrosse practice, and he wanted to relax a bit before he was supposed to meet Piper and Leo at a party later. But he would never know peace until he confirmed nothing was amiss.

Jason was checking his father's office when he heard a noise. It was the slightest tinkling, like a bell, which was strange because Tempest didn't wear a collar. He looked up as he was passing under the second floor landing, where the library was, and there was Tempest, lounging on a decorative table next to a vase of flowers. Jason stopped and observed him.

Tempest wasn't doing anything strange exactly but...there was definitely a suspicious quality to the flick of his tail.

"What are you up to?" Jason asked.

While maintaining eye contact, the cat quickly swatted at the vase and it toppled over the railing. Jason didn't have time to move. It beaned him in the head, and his vision went black.

α

Later, Jason wakes up, a little wet and his head aching. Honeysuckle, mint, and orange blossoms are strewn around him on the floor, but more importantly, Tempest is within grabbing distance.

Jason grabs the cat, and he immediately notices the collar he most definitely did not put on him. The collar is the color of gold, and it has the name Teacup etched on the front of the tag, a phone number etched on the back.

"What the hell?"

Puzzled, Jason takes out his cell phone. He has a few missed calls from Piper and Leo. He's been out cold for a while. He should call them and explain why he's late, but after he figures out what the hell is going on.

He punches the phone number on Tempest's collar into his phone and waits as it dials.

"Hello," A boy's voice answers.

"..."

Now that someone's answered, he isn't sure what to say.

"Um-this is going to sound kind of weird but. This is about Temp-I mean Teacup. I found this number on the collar and-"

He heard an exhalation of breath on the line and paused.

"Did something happen? Please tell me you did not hit him with your car, my sister would-"

"No, no, nothing like that." Though in truth, sometimes Jason wanted to. "It's just that. Okay, this is awkward but. The cat. The cat is not Teacup. His name is Tempest and I've had him since he was a kitten."

β

On the other side of the phone, Nico pauses. When he first got the call, he'd expected the worst and his heart dropped. Hazel loved that little fur ball and if something had happened to it...

But this. This is new.

They'd thought the cat was a stray when it climbed through their window one night, and Hazel was instantly attached so they took it in. (And yeah, maybe Nico was a little attached too).

Could it really be someone else's cat? Hazel loved it dearly, and Nico would do anything to spare her pain and-wait. Could this be some kind of prank? Someone who didn't like Nico (there were a lot considering what he got up to most summers). This could be some kind of act of revenge.

"Is this a prank?" Nico is almost sure someone is messing with him.

"What? No, I just-"

Nico hangs up.

γ

Jason looks at his phone. What just happened?

He calls again.

"Look, I swear I'm not messing with you. Can we meet somewhere, the pizza joint by the high school? We need to sort this out."

"What, so this has escalated to a kidnapping now? Is this the ransom trade off, money for the cat?"

"What? No! Look, just please meet me there and I can explain everything. We can do it tonight even."

Sure, Jason could let it go, he could make a housecat out of Tempest and forget this whole thing ever happened. Except one, it was impossible to make a housecat out of Tempest, and two, this mystery person might report a cat napping to the police or something equally bizarre as this situation.

And if Jason doesn't do something, the mystery person might. Maybe they'll find a way to make Tempest agreeable to indoor living the same way they got him into a collar. Tempest wasn't the easiest pet, but he was the only thing Jason had left of Thalia.

There is silence on the other side for a moment.

"...fine, I'll meet you there in an hour. It's a public place, and I don't want to chance getting a dead cat at my door."

"That's not-"

The line went dead.

Hung up on again.

Clearly, they were off to a great start.

On the floor, Tempest purrs.

δ

Jason gets to the pizza place early. He'd expected a scratch for his trouble, but Tempest was oddly docile as Jason took the collar off him before he left. He figured it would be a good way to identify himself since the mystery person hung up before they could exchange so much as names.

He picks out an easy to see table near the front, and waits.

Eventually, a boy around his age approaches his table. He's rather short, and he looks vaguely familiar, like Jason has seen his profile in passing. He has his hands in the pockets of his aviator jacket and his dark eyes sweep over Jason, lingering on his purple varsity jacket before coming to rest on the collar in Jason's hands. He tilts his head and raises a dark eyebrow.

"So, I take it you're the cat napper?"

"More like the cat owner, but scorned. Take a seat and I'll explain it to you."

ε

Nico di Angelo did not expect the possible cat napper to be Jason Grace of all people. Nico didn't know much about him, but he did know he held some seat in student government and was the captain of the Lacrosse team. He seemed pretty straight laced, a real golden boy based on the gossip that reached his ears in hallway passing, but sometimes jocks did strange things.

He was also not expecting the story Jason told him.

"So what you're saying is...Teacup has been two-timing us for months." Nico looked at the picture Jason showed him on his phone. The photo featured Teacup as a kitten, feathers scattered across the room he was in from an exploded pillow.

"Two bowls of food, two beds to sleep in, two sets of vaccinations, two homes. He was leading a double life and none of us realized it until you got that collar on him."

"I see." Nico didn't know what he was going to tell Hazel. Not to mention he'd grown pretty attached as well. Teacup chose them more than the other way around.

"How did you do it, by the way?" Jason's voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"The collar. I thought it was impossible to get one on that little menace. But you did it somehow."

"Um. I bought the collar and put it on him? It wasn't really an issue...I wouldn't really call Teacup a menace either. He's probably the sweetest pet we've ever had, especially when it comes to my sister..."

Jason stared at him. "Are you serious right now?"

"Obviously."

"So. Tempest has never...I don't know, started any fires? Destroyed anything? Never almost killed anyone?"

It was Nico's turn to stare. "No? He just, you know, does cat things. He's never torn up anything if that's what you're asking, and he's never scratched anybody either. Not even when we bathed him."

"What?!"

The outburst caught Nico off guard and he sunk in his chair as people looked over at them. He hated attention like that.

"Sorry," Jason said sheepishly. "I just. I don't get it."

"What's not to get exactly?"

"Since I got Tempest, he has created thousands of dollars worth of property damage, started one fire, and almost killed my best friend not once, but twice. He scratches. A lot. He refuses to eat anything but Fancy Feast, and sweet is not a word I'd used to describe him.

"We...feed him the grocery store brand. He never had a problem with it."

The light hit Jason's blue eyes in a way that made them electric, and he ran a hand through his short blond hair. He smiled in a way that promised violence, and Nico noticed the scar on his lip as it crinkled.

"I'm. Going. To. Kill. That. Cat."

Okay then.

"...Did Teacup really almost kill your friend twice?"

The crazy glint left Jason's eyes as he looked back at Nico.

"Yeah. It's kind of a long story, though."

Nico drummed his fingers on the table. He was intensely curious about the dangerous criminal he and Hazel unknowingly welcomed into their home. A tiny white ball of fur with big green eyes and a love for not only cuddles, but attempted murder, apparently.

"I'll get the pizza, you get the drinks?" Nico offered tentatively.

Jason smiled.

After they ordered, Jason told him about the battle robot his best friend had built for a contest, and just how far the robot came to killing him after Tempest decided to lay on the remote control.

"...Leo ran from the revolving blades, but the robot was at the perfect height to set the seat of his overalls on fire so he jumped in the pool. I managed to get Tempest off the control before the robot could follow him in and electrocute him, but it was a near thing. Ever since then, Leo's considered Tempest his worst and most feared enemy."

By the time they got their pizza, they were exchanging very different stories about their duplicitous pet.

When they finished, Nico felt confident enough to ask a favor.

"Look, I know that Teacup is technically your pet but...I was hoping you wouldn't mind letting somewhat of the double life continue. Hazel, my sister, is really attached and..."

"Hazel? Hazel Levesque?"

"You know her?"

"Yeah. I didn't know she had a brother."

"Anyways..." Nico continued uncomfortably.

"I don't mind. Tempest comes and goes as he pleases anyway. I couldn't stop him if I wanted to."

"Great," Nico ran a hand through his messy black hair in relief. He stood up to leave, but Jason stopped him.

"Wait. I just realized...I never introduced myself. I'm Jason Grace."

"Yeah, I know who you are. Nico di Angelo."

"You go to C.H.B., right? I'll see you around."

Nico doubted it. "See you around."


	2. Rumor Has It

Hera was waiting up for him when he got home.

The minutes he spent talking to Nico turned into hours without him noticing, and now he was late for curfew.

She was wearing a flowing white night gown, and stood dead center in the foyer, right in front of the staircase. Her arms were crossed, her perfectly manicured nails tapping slowly against her upper arms. Hera pointedly looked at the clock when Jason walked through the door. It was just after two in the morning.

"You were supposed to be back from the party at midnight, Jason. It's not like you to miss curfew." Hera looked at him with her cold eyes. "Are you drunk?"

"What? No, of course not." He took off his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt, suddenly exhausted. "I...got to talking and time ran away from me. By the time I noticed how late it was..." Jason took one look at Hera and sighed. "I apologize. I was late for curfew, and there is no excuse. It was irresponsible. It won't happen again."

Her face remained impassive for a moment, before smoothing over into something somewhat motherly. "Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Despite my attempts, there is only so much that can be done in the face of blood. And you are still indeed your mother's son."

Jason tried hard not to grit his teeth at the way she said mother.

"I suppose I'll forgive you this time, but you're not making a habit of it. Are we clear?"

"...Yes Ma'am."

She motioned for him to go, and Jason had made it halfway up the staircase when Hera called back to him.

"Oh, and Jason?"

He stopped, but didn't turn back to look at her.

"It might seem small, a negligible mistake in the grand scheme of things. But there is no such thing for people like us."

"...people like us?"

"You're destined for great things, Jason. Great things, just like your father. And these small mistakes, they add up quicker than you can conceive of. It is far too easy to lose your way. And before you know it, you're so far off the path to greatness you can never find your way back." Hera paused, and Jason could clearly picture her saccharine smile despite not looking at her. "You wouldn't want to lose your way, would you now Jason?"

"No Ma'am."

"That's my boy. Now get some rest, and next time don't let a pretty smile prevent you from meeting your commitments. While I do approve of the McLean girl, I may have to reconsider if this continues."

Jason was slightly confused by Hera's parting comment as he made his way to his room, but he was too tired by the events of the day to give it much thought. It wasn't until late in the morning the next day that he finally remembered. He was supposed to meet Piper and Leo!

α

Drew Tanaka couldn't believe her luck sometimes. According to the latest gossip, the word was that Jason Grace had stood up Piper McLean last night and she wasn't happy about it. And that was just so interesting, because Drew just happened to come by Jason that very same night. Drew wouldn't be caught dead at a high school party, so unfortunately she wasn't there to enjoy Piper's embarrassment first hand. But after bailing a little early from the college party her and her boyfriend had attended, they decided to stop by Split Pizza for a slice. And what would you know. There was Jason Grace, and you wouldn't believe who he was with. Now, Drew didn't know that he had stood Piper up, so the true beauty of the situation was lost on her at the time.

But one mochaccino with Khione later, fate smiled on her once again. Drew was reapplying her lipstick at a corner table, Khione saying something or other about someone named Ortrera, Drew wasn't really paying attention, when Piper walked into the coffee shop.

"Look who it is," Khione smirked at her. "If it isn't the gossip girl of the hour."

Drew snorted. "She wishes. No, she's not that important." Drew looked around. The shop was pretty full, with just the right amount of teenagers. "But why don't we say hello. She looks kind of lonely, doesn't she."

Khione eyed her with interest. "Since when do you want to talk with Piper McLean?"

"Come with me and find out."

Drew made a beeline for Piper where she stood in line. Khione followed her curiously.

"Piper," Drew tried her best to make her face and voice as sympathetic as she could. "I'm so sorry." Before Piper could respond, Drew threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Piper went still in her arms, and Drew tried not to smile as she noticed the audience she was attracting.

Drew pulled away and Piper looked at her like she'd gone insane. "Drew? What are you doing?"

"I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am. I mean, it can't be easy, can it?"

"Drew, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Drew put a hand over her mouth in fake surprise. "Oh, you don't know, do you? You poor thing."

Piper was starting to clearly get annoyed, and Drew had to fight to keep the smile off her face.

Piper sighed. "Just say whatever you want to say and leave me in peace. I had a long night, and I'm not up to dealing with...whatever this is right now."

This time, Drew couldn't help it as her lips curled up. "Oh, I'm sure you had a long night. I mean, you must be just so embarrassed, right. It isn't every day that your boyfriend stands you up. But worse still is who he stands you up for, who he'd rather spend his time with, isn't it?"

Piper narrowed her eyes. "Just what are you implying?"

Drew tried for sympathetic again. "Oh don't worry, it's not like he's cheating on you. But just for the record, it seemed like Jason was having a fantastic time standing you up. With that little freak di Angelo, that is."

Khione laughed. "Are you serious? That's where Jason was? That much trouble in paradise, McLean?" Khione smirked, and looked Piper up and down. "Then again, maybe he is cheating on you. I mean we've all heard the rumors right?" She came up close to Piper and whispered in her ear, just loud enough for Drew to hear. "Damn, do you have him that hard up? Or are you just that bad?"

For the record, there were two things Drew really didn't know about Piper until that moment.

One: She could move really, really fast when she wanted to.

Two: She had a mean right hook.

β

Jason was woken up that morning by Leo, who knocked and rang the doorbell incessantly until Jason dragged himself out of bed.

Leo was really lucky that Hera wasn't home at the time.

"Dude, were you still asleep?" Leo asked as Jason let him in. "I've been trying forever to get a hold of you man. Piper is pissed."

"About that," Jason yawned and scratched at his stomach. "I'm sorry I forgot to tell you guys what was going on. You won't believe what happened."

"Oh, I know what happened."

Jason stared at him. "You do?"

"Everyone does Superman. The rumor mill is flying. Did I mention that Piper was pissed."

"Rumors...Leo what are you talking about?"

"Drew saw you last night with that creepy goth kid. She said a bunch of shit to Piper and Piper broke Khione's nose. There was a brawl at the coffee shop man. I wasn't there, but people are saying that Piper came this close to suplexing Drew out the window. I would have paid to see that by the way."

Jason let the shock take him for a moment. "What the hell, is Piper all right? What did Drew say to her that would..." Jason pawed at his clothes looking for his phone, before he remembered what he did with it. Shit, he left it charging upstairs after it died on him the night before.

"Relax Superman, Piper is fine. On her way here, in fact, so she can tell you what happened personally." Leo was silent for a beat, and took in Jason's messy appearance at ten o'clock in the morning. "You know, you don't usually sleep in like this..."

Jason sighed. "I know. But I had an unusual day yesterday. And night."

Leo frowned at him. "What happened man? Word on the street is you had a hot date. Which you did by the way. But one that wasn't Piper."

Jason told him what happened. Getting beaned by the vase and blacking out for hours. The collar with the mysterious phone number. Meeting Nico at Split and exchanging stories over pizza and drinks.

Leo thought the whole thing was hilarious. "Are you serious. Wait till Beauty Queen hears about this." Leo smiled. "But don't you think you're missing a prime opportunity here? You finally have someone you can pawn that hell cat off on! Just think of it! No more property damage or fires. Not to mention, I'd be able to come into your home and not have to worry about being murdered." Leo laughed. "To be honest, I'm not surprised that demon would like someone like di Angelo. That kid is creepy."

Jason frowned. He didn't know anything about Nico, and he'd only talked to him once. Still, what Leo said annoyed him. "Nico isn't creepy, Leo."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Sure, sure. But what about pawning the demon cat off on him? You wouldn't even have to feel bad about it. The cat likes him."

Jason had thought about it. Before even. But Tempest was a gift from Thalia. She'd given him to Jason before she'd left, to "take my place while I'm gone, so you don't get lonely baby bro."

To get rid of Tempest would be like getting rid of Thalia. He just couldn't do it. Not to mention, Jason had grown to love the terrible beast, despite everything.

Jason gave Leo a look as he followed him up the stairs so he could get ready before Piper made an appearance. "You know I can't do it, Leo."

Leo sighed. "Yeah, but a guy can dream."

After getting ready, Jason and Leo relocated to what Hera liked to call the "screening room." It was like a mini theater, with comfy plush seats and a movie screen that took up the entire far wall. They started a random movie up and talked as they waited for Piper.

Jason had noticed that Tempest was conspicuously absent when he got home last night, and he definitely knew where he'd gone when he heard the tinkling of a bell. Nico had left with the collar, and it would seem he already got Tempest back into it. He figured Nico must live within a couple of miles.

"Woah," Leo said when Tempest wondered into the room. "I almost didn't believe you about the collar." Leo stared at Tempest and Tempest stared right back. The bell jingled and Leo smiled. "You know, I think I like him a lot better like this. The bell heralds his approach. I can hear him coming now. No more silent death."

γ

When the doorbell rang, Leo excused himself to get some snacks so that Jason and Piper could have some privacy.

Leo knew Jason's house almost better than his own. He liked to hang out at Jason's because his parents were never home. Also, it was a mansion. He mentioned parties to Jason a few times, but Jason was convinced that Hera would murder him if he ever tried it. Neither of them brought up the thought of asking.

He headed for the kitchen area. There was a huge pantry, and beyond that a two-door walk-in refrigerator/freezer. Leo rolled his eyes every time he saw it. Rich people. How much food did they think they'd need exactly?

He takes his time gathering some snacks, then sets them aside to get drinks. And after his talk with Jason, frozen pizza sounded kind of good. He opens the freezer and heads right for the junk food.

That's when he hears it.

The ominous bell.

Before he can so much as blink, the door slams shut behind him, trapping him in the cold.

He knows immediately that Tempest is trying to kill him again, but this time he grins. Too bad cats don't know about cell phones. Take that Tempest!

That's when he realizes. He left his cell phone in the screening room.

Well shit.

δ

Explaining everything to Piper went better than expected. Like Leo, she thought the whole thing was pretty funny.

"I still want to kill Drew though. She's started some really bad rumors Jason. I honestly don't know what to expect at school on Monday."

"What did she say exactly?"

"It's...nothing really. She just implied some things. Pretty loudly. In front of a lot of people."

"And that's when you punched her in the face?"

Piper blushed. "Well, I punched Khione first. Then Drew. I probably would have done more but we all got kicked out."

Jason brushed some of her hair back and looked her in the eyes. "You don't look like you got into a fight. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Piper blushed again. "No. But...I probably shouldn't have gotten so mad. Now everyone's...it will look like what Drew implied was true."

Jason took Piper's hand and squeezed it gently. He didn't know what exactly Drew had implied, but he could guess it was pretty bad if it set Piper off. Jason's and Piper's relationship was new, only a few short months, but before they got together Drew made it no secret that she wanted Jason. Maybe she even liked him. It was hard to tell with her. After he got together with Piper, Drew made a show of swearing off high school boys, and would tell anyone who would listen how superior college boys were as far as boyfriends went.

Jason had never outright rejected her, but his relationship with Piper said enough. Drew was hurt, and ever since she focused all her bad feelings on Piper. She hated Piper.

"It doesn't matter what she said. Let them talk. Whatever rumors she started, we'll set the record straight. Should be easy enough, right?"

Piper bit her lip. "Usually, it would be yeah. But rumors involving that di Angelo kid...people love to talk about that one."

Jason was just about to ask her what she meant, but Tempest walked by the doorway on his way to who knows what and she suddenly gave him a look. "Hey," she said. "Hasn't Leo been gone a long time."

"Now that you mention it..."

"What's the last place he went?"

"He just went to get us some snacks."

They figured Leo couldn't have gone too far. They checked the nearest bathroom, the dining room, the kitchen, and finally they walked into the pantry.

"I don't get it. Where could he have gone?"

"Did you try his cell?" Piper asked.

"He left it in the screening room, no point."

They both looked at the pantry, and then at the walk-in refrigerator/freezer doors.

They shared a look.

"It couldn't be," Piper said. "Could it?"

Jason had a suspicion, so he opened the freezer door first. A very cold Leo ran out immediately.

"Oh thank god," Leo stuttered. "I thought it was the end. I thought he really did it this time."

Piper embraced Leo and rubbed at his arms to try and warm him up. "Not likely. Come on Leo, we all know it will take a hell of a lot more to kill you than that."

Leo nodded. "True, very true. I wouldn't want to give him the satisfaction."

They made their way back to the screening room, and Jason left to get blankets to try and warm Leo up.

It would have been a lot easier to warm Leo up if he wasn't so insistent on making a fort out of every blanket handed to him.

Piper made the mistake of trying to dismantle them, and it escalated into an all out siege.

Clearly, Leo was going to be just fine.


	3. The First Push

Nico di Angelo was a master at keeping his head down and blending in with the shadows. It was a hard learned, practiced skill, one he was sure would help him with his future career. A skill that would one day, with hope, help him find Bianca.

He wasn't used to being noticed.

But when he got to school that Monday, a fundamental change seemed to have taken place.

People stared at him. Friends whispered to each other when he passed by, and some kids offered him nasty smiles.

No one spoke to him directly, and he had no idea what was going on. He hadn't done anything to warrant any kind of new rumors, had he? He wracked his brain, but nothing stood out to him.

What the hell was going on? What did people know? Or think they knew? Could they...no, there was no way they could know about that. Nico tried to talk himself down from an impending panic. After all, the last time something like this had happened, he'd found himself the subject of a rumor about family ties in organized crime. Specifically his father, which was so ridiculous he almost laughed in the face of the allegation.

Hades di Angelo was an international business consultant. A very intimidating one admittedly, and okay, maybe Nico could see why people would think such a thing. His father had an...intensity about him. It ran in the family.

Still, just thinking about the last rumor made him feel a little less like the world was going to cave in around him. Whatever it was, it was probably as ridiculous and untrue as the last. They'd get over it and move on to the next piece of gossip.

It didn't take him long to get wind of the current rumor circulating about him. Apparently, Jason Grace had stood up his girlfriend Piper McLean on Friday night, and was spotted with none other than Nico himself that same night. Speculation as to why was running wild.

Wonderful.

Nico tried to appear unaffected by the whispers and stares, but everything got worse when he was approached by Jason Grace just before fourth period.

Nico had just put away his literature book and was reaching for his math book when he noticed a presence come up beside him.

"Hey Nico."

Nico dropped the book in his backpack and shut his locker. When he looked up, he was met with a familiar varsity jacket featuring the C.H.B. Hounds, worn by one Jason Grace.

"Jason. Hi." Nico was very aware when the ambiance of the halls shifted. The whispers seemed to stop, and he could feel the stares twice as hot on the back of his neck. Whatever people were waiting for, this seemed to be it. Uncomfortably, Nico shouldered his backpack. "Um. Did you need something?"

"Just wanted to say hi. You know, I barely believed you went to this school. I never really see you around."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "We don't exactly have any classes together. Different grade and all."

Jason gave him half a smile. "True, but I was thinking more like around in general."

Nico shrugged. It was no coincidence that he never ended up on people like Jason's radar, but Jason didn't need to know that.

"Well, here I am." Nico made an awkward gesture at the hallway. "Around."

Jason smiled, and Nico could hear the whispers start up again. Why was Jason Grace suddenly talking to him? The pair of them were drawing way too much attention. Nico was uncomfortable, and he kind of wanted Jason to go away so that people would stop staring at them.

The warning bell sounded, and Nico took the opportunity to escape.

"I better get going..."

"Yeah, yeah, me too. I'll see you later?"

Nico hoped not. (Which wasn't the complete truth, but now wasn't the best time for self reflection.)

"I'll be around."

α

When Jason thinks about it, he's never seen Nico hang out with anyone at school. In fact, he almost never sees Nico at all.

Jason and Nico had never even spoken until their meet-up at Split Pizza.

It was kind of strange, how he never really noticed Nico before. Jason wasn't lying when he told him that he barely believed they went to the same school.

But Jason had liked talking to him, and he'd resolved to speak to him again on Monday. Which was easier said than done, thanks to Drew's very real skill at spreading rumors. And Piper wasn't kidding when she said people loved to talk about Nico.

Jason wasn't one to listen to gossip, but his ears seemed to perk up when he'd hear Nico's name in passing. By the time lunch time rolled around, he'd heard the following rumors, each one more ridiculous than the next: that Jason's business tycoon father wasn't as legit as previously thought, and was making a deal with Nico's Mafioso father under the table; that Jason was at Split Pizza under duress, a result of a business deal gone bad; the same thing, but with Nico the one under duress; that Nico had gone missing for four years, right after his sister did, only he was the only one that came back; that she had gone to the police, so the family had gotten rid of her; that Nico was selling drugs; that Nico was selling guns; that Nico was selling...other things.

Out of all the words flying back and forth, no one proposed the idea that Jason and Nico were just friends having pizza. Apparently, everything else was more believable than that.

The truth, than, would have been even more unbelievable. Not that he owed any of them the truth.

It was annoying, and Jason shut down the few people that asked him things directly, but the whispers still persisted.

Talking to Nico in the hall earlier in the day had only made things worse, but Jason wasn't about to let that stop him. Let them talk. He had already decided it on Friday night, after Nico had grown comfortable and gave him grief about his pineapple pizza and how maybe that's why Tempest was acting out. The smile he'd given Jason was small and guarded, and Jason knew in that instant; he wanted to be Nico's friend.

β

Nico ate alone and never in the cafeteria, or not at all, depending on how hungry he was. Usually he wasn't.

He typically spent his lunch period messing around in the library or getting up to trouble. He was very good at finding trouble. Though he didn't mean to be. Most of the time, anyway.

When he decided to eat, he usually took his lunch at a table just outside of the library. The cafeteria was too loud. He didn't want to sit with anybody there, and sitting alone drew too much attention, which he hates. He'd found that out the hard way.

Somehow, Jason managed to hunt him down at lunch time, and Nico was more than a little surprised when Jason joined him at his table and placed his lunch tray down with a friendly, confident smile, like taking lunch with the school pariah was something he did every single day.

"So, Tempest tried to kill Leo again."

Nico just stared at him.

"Trapped him in a freezer. That makes three times now. When I told you about his previous attempts, you claimed coincidence. Can't really blame it on coincidence anymore. Three makes it a pattern."

Nico tried to process this. His brain didn't seem to be working.

"Jason? You do realize that we're talking about a cat, right? Cats don't generally mastermind murders."

"This one does," Jason said.

"Maybe Leo's just clumsy, and it has nothing to do with Teacup. Isn't that more likely?"

"That's what Tempest wants you to think. And I can't believe you just blamed the victim. Never thought you were the type, Nico."

"I'm no-" Nico paused, and sighed. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you."

But Jason was smiling. "It feels kind of good to have someone to share the terrible burden of pet parenthood."

Nico shook his head. "No, I mean seriously. What are you doing here Jason?" Nico gestured to their table. "Why are you talking to me? Maybe you didn't get the memo, but people are already talking. If they see us here together, it will only get worse. Or are you that eager to commit social suicide?"

Jason frowned. "Yeah, I got the memo, but I don't really care. They'll get over it eventually." Jason tapped his fork against his lunch tray. "As for what I'm doing? I thought it was obvious. I'm trying to be your friend."

Nico stared at him. "Why?"

"Because I liked talking to you on Friday. It was fun. And I want to get to know you better."

"Are you...not concerned, about the things they say about me? The things they'll say about you?"

Jason shrugged. "Anyone who spent five minutes with you wouldn't believe half the rumors going around. And they already say things about me."

"It's not the same thing," Nico said. "It's positive what they say about you, until we met at least. Aren't you overestimating your popularity a bit, if you think it won't affect you?"

Jason took off his glasses and sighed, rubbed them against his shirt. "I'm not saying that it won't affect me. Maybe it will, maybe it won't." He put his glasses back on. "What I'm saying is I don't care. No one else decides who my friends are. And the ones I already have, they won't care either. And their opinions are the ones that matter." Jason looked at Nico. "You should come and sit with us next time."

Nico looked at his hands on the table, and twisted the skull ring Bianca had given him. "You know, the last person who tried this whole friend thing with me, was only doing it because he thought I had an in with the mafia. I should make it clear right now, that particular rumor isn't true."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "I didn't think it was. Can I ask who?"

"Octavian."

Jason sighed. "Yeah, that sounds like him. I'm...sorry that happened."

Nico shrugged.

"So," Jason started. "Friends?"

Nico hoped he wasn't making a huge mistake. But Jason seemed genuine. "Yeah," he nodded. "Friends."

The smile that Jason gave him was blinding.

It was weird, being the one responsible for that smile. And for such a small thing.

But it wasn't so small, was it?

They traded numbers (officially anyway, as Jason already had Nico's number from Teacup's collar), and Nico found himself agreeing to join Jason and his friends for lunch the next day.


	4. Making Plans

The next day as promised, Nico joined Jason and his friends for the lunch period at their usual spot in the cafeteria. Piper McLean and Leo Valdez he was expecting, and Frank Zhang was kind of surprising, but not in a bad way.

But Nico might have reconsidered Jason's request to join him and his friends had he known that Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were among them.

Percy and Annabeth-they were Bianca's friends, so Nico knew them vaguely. Once upon a time they could have even been his friends, too.

But as it ended up, they were just two more in a long line of people who had given up on Bianca. And Nico couldn't forgive them for that. Had they been anyone else, maybe he could have. But they were supposed to be her friends. They should have known better. They should have known Bianca.

Bianca wasn't dead, no matter what anyone said. Not the police, or his father, or Percy or Annabeth.

They never even had a funeral. There was nothing to bury.

But everyone just...forgot about her.

Nico knew, instinctively, that Bianca was out there somewhere. He just had to find her.

Hazel was the only one who believed him. She would look at him with her kind eyes and sweet smile and say, "If you can find me the way you did, you can find her too. I believe in you."

α

After Nico took a seat next to Jason at their lunch table, it was Leo, surprisingly, that talked to him first.

"So Nico...is it true that you're a witch?"

"Leo!" Piper said.

"What? I'm just saying it would explain the cat thing!"

Frank frowned. "You shouldn't say things like that, Leo. Hazel-" He faltered, and seemed to think twice about continuing his sentence.

Leo's eyes sparkled. "Oooh, Hazel, huh?" He side eyed Nico. "Say Nico, did you kno-hmph."

Frank had a hand over his mouth in an instant. Nico was surprised a big guy like him could move that fast.

Nico eyed Frank suspiciously. Apparently, just like Jason, Frank was familiar with his little sister. She was still in junior high, one year younger than Nico. It wasn't surprising on its face that they knew each other. Hazel was rather social. Not to mention, one of the most amazing people Nico had ever met. What was surprising, though, was that Frank seemed to be in the know about Hazel's sensitivity to being called a witch.

Nico hadn't realized she'd confessed to anyone else about what had happened in New Orleans.

"Anyways," Frank smiled at Nico nervously.

Nico just watched him, and wondered why he'd never heard the name Frank Zhang come out of his sister's mouth.

Beside him, Jason cleared his throat, shifting Nico's attention to the blond.

Jason smiled at him, as if this 'meet my friends' thing was going in any way but awkwardly. "Percy tells me you like Mythomagic."

Nico's focus went to the other side of the table, where Percy and Annabeth were whispering to one another. At Jason's words, Percy looked at them and rubbed the back of his neck.

"He did, did he?" Nico deadpanned.

"Yeah," Jason went on obliviously. "Did you hear about the movie they're making for it? Pretty cool, right?"

At the mention of Mythomagic, Frank seemed to perk up. "Oh yeah, isn't Piper's dad supposed to be in it?"

Piper groaned. "Don't remind me."

"What's the matter, Piper?" Annabeth smiled. "I for one am looking forward to his shirtless scenes."

Beside her, Percy looked affronted. Annabeth pecked him on the cheek and whispered something Nico didn't want to hear, and Piper groaned again.

"Your dad," Nico said. "It isn't-Tristan McLean?"

Leo cackled. "The one and only. Pipes gets shit about it on a daily basis from that Drew harpy."

Percy looked at Nico and grinned in a way that Nico wanted to hate but never could. "Hey Nico, remember when McLean was in that pirate movie and you and Bianca-" the rest of his sentence was nothing but a dull buzzing in Nico's ears.

He didn't know how long he sat like that, hearing nothing. Nico's mind wandered to dark places, and he felt a little sick.

He stood up, abruptly putting an end to whatever Percy was going on about. They all stared at him, and Nico found the cafeteria oddly silent.

"Nico?" Jason asked.

"Sorry," Nico managed. "I'm not hungry anymore and I just remembered something. I'll...see you around."

Piper eyed his full lunch plate with worried eyes, but Nico made his escape before she could say anything. He made a beeline for the most unvisited boy's bathroom in the school, and spent a few moments collecting himself. He looked at himself in the mirror, and cursed the tell-tell wet shine in his dark eyes. He splashed his face with water.

He had forgotten just how hard it was to be around Percy and Annabeth. Maybe it wasn't fair, but the resentment he held for them was just as fresh as the day Bianca went missing, when three kids took an impromptu trip to the Museum of Natural History to settle a bet, and only two came back.

It would be easier if he could hate them, but he's never managed to be able to do it.

Instead he just feels an indescribable pain in his stomach every time they say her name. They should never say her name. They lost that right when they had given up on Bianca.

In the beginning he had thought of them as allies, thought that the three of them together could bring Bianca home. After all, Annabeth was clever, Percy was daring, and Nico had a unique way of uncovering secrets long thought dead and buried, and raising them.

Nico took a deep breath. Mythomagic, huh? He hadn't thought about the game since he'd sold his collection four years ago, in order to afford three tickets on a Grey Hound Bus. He'd thought he had found Bianca at the time. He ended up finding Hazel instead.

Either way, he ended up only using one ticket. He was just lucky that he managed to leave before they had informed his father.

A hand on his shoulder startled him, and he spun around in surprise to see Jason.

At Nico's glare, Jason put his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Nico's expression softened, and he huffed out a breath. "I'm fine. Thank you. And I don't like to be touched."

"Oh, got it." Jason nodded thoughtfully. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen...I'm sorry if we did something, or said something that made you uncomfortable. I don't think I've ever seen someone want to get away from us so badly." Jason frowned, his eyes concerned. "Were we really that bad?"

Nico sighed. "It wasn't-look. Percy and Annabeth. We have history, and that's all I want to say about it." Nico put his hands in the pockets of his aviator jacket. "Sometimes...sometimes they remind me of things I don't want to think about. And it's probably the same for them too. So...it can get weird between us, sometimes, I guess. But it wasn't anything that you did." Nico looked at the floor. "Any of you, really."

Jason frowned. "They never mentioned anything."

Nico shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I'll get over it."

Jason didn't look very convinced, and Nico could tell that he wanted to ask more about whatever was between Percy, Annabeth, and him.

But he didn't. Instead, he gave Nico an out.

"Listen, Nico. I didn't know about your...history with Percy and Annabeth when I asked you to sit with us. I didn't mean to put you in a situation like...whatever that was; whatever made you look like you'd rather be anywhere else." Jason's eyes were oddly muted in the dim lighting of the bathroom. "I still want to get to know you better, be your friend. But if you wanted to opt out of the 'Jason and friends lunch spectacular,' I would understand. Maybe we could meet outside of the library some days, like last time?"

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Jason and friends spectacular?" At Jason's sheepish look, Nico couldn't help but smile, just a little. "You're kind of a dork, aren't you? Who would have guessed."

Jason smiled. "Didn't you know? It's one of my many secrets, known to only a select few."

The idea of Jason Grace being full of secrets was rather ridiculous.

And Nico felt better, he realized. Talking to Jason made him feel better. Less lost after his encounter with Percy and Annabeth. And certainly less alone.

Nico twisted the skull ring on his finger. Maybe this could be a good thing. With Jason as his friend, maybe this could be his chance to get closure with Percy and Annabeth. And who knows? Nico wasn't a rambling kid anymore. His time with Thanatos was bound to pay off eventually. It was only a matter of time before he found Bianca. And maybe this time, he wouldn't have to go it alone. Maybe this time, they could find her together.

Nico wanted to laugh at himself, at how easily he was getting his hopes up. And all because his cat was living a double life with a blond jock with earnest eyes and a kind smile.

"I think," Nico said slowly. "I'd like to give the 'Jason and friends lunch spectacular' another try."

Jason furrowed his eyebrows. "Really? You know you don't have to."

"I know," Nico said. "I want to. And thanks."

"Um. I didn't really do anything."

Nico shrugged. "Just thanks."

β

Thankfully, the lunch period awkwardness lessened as the week wore on. By the time Friday rolled around, Jason was glad to see that Nico was warming up to their group, slowly but surely.

Frank in particular seemed to hold his interest more often than not. Jason wasn't sure, but there seemed to be something going on there. Every time Nico would look at him, Frank seemed to get nervous, almost a guilty kind of nervous, which was unusual for Frank. And Nico seemed to find it amusing, just how flustered Frank would get.

On Wednesday, Piper surprised them with a batch of brownies from Jason's favorite bakery. Jason let out a little moan after his first bite (it was that good), and Leo snickered, elbowing Nico beside him.

He stage whispered to Nico. "If you were ever wondering about Superman's weakness, this right here is his kryptonite." Leo held up the half a brownie he'd been eating. "One brownie, and all will be forgiven."

Jason tried to glare at him, but it was hard to do when every one of his taste buds were singing.

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Should you really be giving away that information?"

"Of course di Angelo. The key to Jason's forgiveness is critical to the survival of this friend group. I don't know where I'd be without these brownies. Dead, probably."

Jason rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't be dead, Leo."

Percy laughed. "I don't know man. You tend to get a little...'shocking' when you're angry."

Nico just looked confused.

"Static electricity," Piper smiled. "Jason tends to build it up when he's mad. We've all been shocked at least once. I think it's all the pacing he does."

"I don't pace," Jason defended. "And it's been a while since anything's happened."

'Because of the brownies' Leo mouthed silently at Nico. Jason punched him on the shoulder.

Percy looked at his tray of food mournfully. "I just wish we had a 'kryptonite' for Annabeth too."

Annabeth glared at him.

γ

As they were heading back to class after lunch, Jason took Nico aside.

"My Lacrosse game is Friday night," Jason smiled. "I was thinking you could come, and we could hang after, just the two of us for once."

"Oh," Nico put his hands in the pockets of his aviator jacket. "That sounds...fun, but I sort of have this thing. At the homeless shelter. Sorry."

Jason frowned. "That's okay, but can I ask about...?"

Nico shrugged. "Well, it's kind of a long story."

Jason smiled. "Want to meet at Split after school?"

Nico nodded.

δ

Few things smelled as good as pineapple pizza after a long day of mindless learning.

Jason took the same table where he first officially met Nico, and it didn't take long for the other boy to join him.

"So," Nico drummed his fingers on the table. "You know that rumor about how I went missing for four years?"

"Right after your sister disappeared?" Jason asked.

Nico nodded. "Well, that one happens to be true." Nico took a deep breath. "I went looking for my sister, and I spent the next four years on the streets."

Jason was surprised, but he said nothing, waiting for Nico to continue.

"I was ten years old at the time, and I didn't really know what I was doing. I had...a lot of close calls." Nico twisted the ring on his finger, a habit Jason had begun to associate with nervousness. "The streets aren't the most forging place for a kid, and I never stayed anywhere long. But." Nico looked up at Jason, and the tentative smile he offered was fragile, like he didn't expect Jason to understand. "I had help."

Jason was silent for a moment. "You had help?"

Nico nodded. "It really put things in perspective, you know." He brushed his dark hair from his eyes. "My family has a lot of money, and just, these people who had nothing, not a dime to their name, not a home or a bed to sleep in. They helped me." Nico looked at the table. "I would have starved or died from exposure. But they gave me food." Nico tugged at the collar of his jacket. "They gave me this."

"Your jacket," Jason said. "And you still wear it?"

Nico nodded.

That explained why the jacket was so worn and oversized. And it explained some things about Nico, too.

They were both silent for a moment.

"Like I said, it really put things in perspective. So ever since I got back, I try to volunteer at the homeless shelter at least once a week, during the school year anyway." Nico shrugged. "And that's why I can't make it to your game. Friday is the day."

Jason sat there for a moment, processing everything Nico had told him.

"Can Saturday be the day?"

Nico looked at him. "What?"

Jason smiled. "You don't know what position I hold in student government, do you?"

Nico shrugged. "Vice President?"

"Not even close. You happen to be looking at the Commissioner of Community Service."

Nico blinked at him. "Is that even a real thing?"

Jason laughed. "Yep. Personally responsible for planning and coordinating service projects, donation drives, and awareness programs. At least that's what it says on the job description." Jason leaned forward. "I can tag along if you do it Saturday. And if all goes well, maybe we could organize some kind of outreach program later."

Nico sighed. "You're making it kind of hard to argue with you."

"So...you'll come to my game Friday, and then let me tag along on Saturday?" Jason gave him his best puppy dog eyes.

Nico groaned.


	5. Friday Night Lights (or Lack Thereof)

Friday night, the C.H.B. stadium was packed with students sporting their school colors, a sea of orange and white in the stands. The color block was broken only occasionally, with groups of kids wearing green and black, undoubtedly T.E.R.R.A. students.

And then there was Nico, still dressed in black, and hoping desperately that his luck would hold and he'd remain unnoticed, sticking to the fringes and blending with the shadows.

On the field, the stadium lights fell harshly on the two teams as they fought for control over the ball, the roar of the crowd encouraging.

It was too loud, and Nico wondered for the fifth time that night what possessed him to agree to subject himself to this. Jason's puppy dog eyes, maybe? The worried line of Hazel's mouth and the huge deficit of peer interaction he'd built up, put on the backburner since Bianca's disappearance and the more important things he had to do? Whatever the reason, Nico wanted to punch his past self in the face for even entertaining the idea, let alone actually showing up.

At the start of the match, just before the face-off, Jason had looked for him in the crowd. Nico had strategically placed himself in the peripheral of a group of T.E.R.R.A. students, and was surprised that Jason had managed to spot him in the sea of faces and poor lighting. Their eyes met and Jason smiled. For a moment, Nico feared that Jason would do something stupid like wave, bringing unneeded attention their way, and reigniting the gossip that never seemed to stop since they'd first spoken.

But Jason seemed to read something in his eyes, and that was the end of it. He put on his helmet and joined his team on the field.

Nico didn't know much about lacrosse. He didn't know anything, really. But about ten minutes in, he was sure that Jason was good at it.

On the field, he cut an imposing figure. He was tall and broad shouldered, and he moved with an intensity that Nico found surprising. The way that Jason was, or rather, the way Jason was as Nico had known him thus far; Nico would never call that person intimidating, or aggressive. But there was something oddly animalistic in the way Jason took to the field. And it was no surprise, why they made him captain. They were so in sync, it was almost like watching a pack of wolves close in on the goaltender.

The other team, while not as skilled as far as Nico could tell, were twice as vicious. They had two guys, twins by the looks of it, that were absolutely huge. And they knew how to  throw their weight around. They were defenseman, while Jason was a midfielder. And when they inevitably met on the field, Nico could practically feel everyone hold a breath. There was bad blood there, that much was obvious.

About halfway through the third quarter, as Nico watched Jason make yet another shot on goal, the twins hot on his tail, an argument broke out between some nearby T.E.R.R.A. students.

"I'm telling you, I was there! Ephialtes took on Jason Grace _and_ Percy Jackson at the same time and won!"

"I saw it too! He would have really messed them up, but that coach of theirs, you know, the really short one with the megaphone? He broke it up."

"No way. What about Otis?"

There was laughter.

 "Otis was down for the count before _that_ fight even started. It was pandemonium on the field, and somehow he got knocked out before Jackson even climbed down from the bleachers. It could have been anyone, really. But my money is on that La Rue chick."

One of them whistled. "Wasn't she the one that..?"

"Yep."

Nico tried to tune out the rest of their conversation, his focus returning to the field, but they quickly demanded his attention again when one of the kids pushed his friend a little too hard, and that friend's plastic cup full of soda and probably something else went flying out of his hands and all over Nico.

It hit him like a shock, and his shirt was instantly drenched. He stood up automatically, and pulled at the sticky fabric of his baggy black shirt.

The group fell silent for a moment, all of them staring at Nico with wide eyes, Nico staring back.

"Ah shit, I'm s-" the kid with the offending plastic cup didn't get to finish his apology, as what seemed to be the leader of the group pushed him out of the way.

The guy had been silent up till then, and far enough away that Nico couldn't make out much of his features in the dark, but as he stepped through a beam of light to get closer, Nico felt his stomach drop.

"Well well well, if it isn't Thany's little errand boy bitch." Pale skin, ragged dark hair, and ruddy brown eyes that seemed almost red in the limited light.

"Lycaon," Nico said, as steady as he could.

Lycaon jumped the last seat of the bleachers that separated him from Nico. His mouth lifted into a smile, the curve of his lips dagger sharp. He threw an arm around Nico's shoulders, and pulled him in close enough for the other boy to hear his whisper in the din. "You've caused my boss a lot of trouble, you know? Kids like you should know to keep your nose clean, and not go sniffing around where it doesn't belong." Nico tried to shrug him off, but Lycaon just pulled him in tighter.

At Nico's glare, Lycaon just laughed. "But the past is the past, right?" His fingers dug harshly into Nico's arm, and he had to fight a flinch. "There's time enough for obedience training."

Lycaon looked to the boys he had been sitting with, the edge of his smile softening to something believable. Nico didn't recognize any of the other boys in the group, and he spared a thought to why Lycaon wasn't with his usual gang. He counted himself lucky. It would be easier to get away from Lycaon on his own, than Lycaon and his usual twelve running buddies.

Nico's mind buzzed, mapping out the school and possible escape routes as Lycaon made his excuses on why he had to leave, something about having an extra shirt that Nico could wear in his car.

There was a murmured agreement, and Lycaon tightened his grip on Nico and started to forcefully lead him away.

The whole time he kept his arm around Nico's shoulders and kept him close, and Nico's pulse raced. He tried to keep from panicking. It wasn't like this kind of situation was completely foreign to him, after all. But it had never happened at school before, and he had been so focused on Jason and the game that Lycaon had caught him completely off guard. Still, he refused to even think about the possibility of getting dragged to Lycaon's car and beyond.

He saw his opportunity when they passed a cluster of girls just outside the Arts building. They were laughing about something, a certain edge in their laughter ringing false in Nico's ears. He recognized Khione, a satisfied smile on her face as she gestured to the building and winked at the others. She brought her hands up to her eyes in fists, mockingly imitating someone that was crying. The others laughed.

She looked over at them as they were passing by, her eyes lighting up with interest as she noticed Lycaon.

Nico knew the moment Lycaon returned that interest, his grip on Nico loosening the slightest bit even as he got closer to him, tilting his head to get a better look. Nico felt the brush of his ragged hair against his neck, and decided enough was enough.

Nico broke from his grip and dislodged his arm in one breath, and in the next swung his arm as hard as he could, digging his bony elbow into Lycaon's midsection with enough force to wind him.

Lycaon faltered back a step, and it was all Nico needed. He bolted, running right through the group of startled girls and into the Arts building where he took to the stairs. Lycaon recovered faster than he would have liked, and the pounding of footsteps behind him urged Nico to pick up the pace.

Nico didn't know whether to be thankful or not that the building was empty. There was no one to get in his way as an obstacle, but there was no one to slow down his pursuer either. Lycaon was cursing behind him, spitting increasingly violent threats on Nico's heels.

Nico entered the wing that connected the Arts building to the English building on the right, and the Science building on the left. He went right.

Nico thought there would never be a time when he'd thank his high school bullies, but because of them he knew the ins and outs of the school, where to hide and how to lose a tail. Funny how some things work out. Not to mention, none of them were quite as likely to be carrying an actual weapon as Lycaon was.

Nico was panting by the time he circled back to the Science building. He lost sight of Lycaon somewhere in the between, but he wasn't willing to take any chances. He took the stairs to the third floor where he knew there was a closed girls bathroom, set to be remodeled after someone managed to blow up a toilet. He'd hide out there for a while.

He grabbed the door handle as soon as he got there, sparing a moment to make sure he wasn't being followed. But as he rushed in, the lights flickered, and he was plunged into darkness. A sound like a gasp came from deeper within the room. His limbs already heavy with adrenaline, Nico startled at the sound, and in his rush he tripped over something that felt like a caution easel. Go figure.

He kept his balance for a few steps before he collided with something that definitely felt like a someone, and they both went down to the floor. Nico hit it face first, and could of sworn his eyeballs hit the back of his head for a moment. His vision swam.

The bathroom floor. The floor of a bathroom, he noted, that was still a bit wet from the exploding toilet situation. Nico groaned in disgust, and was surprised that it came out a bit muffled. Nico blinked and tried to get his bearings. He couldn't see anything, just pitch black, but he did notice that there seemed to be something, some kind of cloth over his head.

He was just starting to panic, and then the lights flickered back on.

When the lights flooded back into the room, the first thing that Nico noticed was that he couldn't see as well as he ought to. The second thing he noticed was the...what the...something cloth covered right in front of his face. He was pretty sure he had a concussion at this point but...

With dawning horror, Nico started to back away, but before he could remove himself someone grabbed him by the back of his jacket and pulled him away roughly, up and off the floor.

The light hit his eyes, his vision cleared, and that's when he realized the true horror of his situation.

On the floor, sprawled out with her skirt hiked up to showcase a hint of black lingerie underwear, was Drew Tanaka. Her mouth was wide open in shock. She looked like she had gotten hit by a stray bolt of lightning.  

Nico felt much the same way.

The fist in his jacket tightened, and Nico was swung around to see the apocalyptic face of Coach Hedge.

"Really di Angelo, really! Some kids tell me about a fight, and I come to break it up only to find you with your head up a skirt!"

He looked down at Drew, who was still shocked motionless. "And you! Put some clothes on, Tanaka!"

That seemed to wake her up, and she quickly fixed her dress and shot to her feet, her cheeks going bright red. "This isnt--this isn't what it looks like!" She shot a disgusted look at Nico. "I would never with--it was an accident!"

The coach actually laughed. "Sure Tanaka, like I haven't heard that one a million times before. An accident. A girl trips, conveniently onto a boy, without clothes. Ha! Not on my watch!"

He gestured Drew to the door. She huffed but obeyed, and Nico followed unwillingly, the Coach pushing at his back.

Drew pushed the door open, and a crowd of students scattered. It was obvious that they'd been eaves dropping, probably had anticipated seeing a fight. And with how loud the coach had yelled at them, without a doubt they had heard everything.

Following the coach to his office felt something like a death sentence. The shock was starting to wear off, and embarrassment was catching up with a vengeance. Nico's head had been up Drew Tanaka's skirt. Nico felt his cheeks heat up, and tried to avoid eye contact with anyone. There were too many witnesses. The game must have been over, because it seemed like everyone in the bleachers was suddenly in the building, the promise of a fight too tempting to pass up.

He noticed Khione, arms crossed over her chest. She had one of the most vicious smiles he'd ever seen targeted at Drew, like a cat that caught the canary.

Drew was strangely silent though, her gaze targeted on the ground. Contemplative. Nico would have thought she'd be throwing a fit at this point, denying everything, trying to protect her reputation from the likes of someone like Nico.

When they got to his office, the coach had them take the chairs in front of his desk. They both sat down silently, and Nico felt oddly guilty, even though he hadn't really done anything. The coach kept giving him the most disappointed looks.

The coach sighed. "Well, the punishment for this breach of school conduct is at minimum, a three day suspension."

Nico just about swallowed his tongue. His dad would flip, not to mention his summer privileges. He couldn't afford to lose that. He was too close. "What? No! I know it looks bad Coach, but it really was an accident. Remember when the lights went out? Well, I fell and--"

"Save your breath di Angelo." Drew cut him off. "We were caught red handed. He knows."

Nico stared at her blankly. He wondered in what ways his brain must be misfiring, to hear what he was hearing. Maybe he really did have a concussion. Maybe he was hallucinating.

"What do you mean, he knows?"

Drew looked at him and smiled coyly. "He knows about us, sweety." Her eyes sparkled, mischief incarnate. "And with the way that secrets spread around here? By the end of the night, so will everyone else."

Nico felt numb with incomprehension for the rest of the lecture about not getting it on at school. He could not believe that this was happening. This could not be his life.

He finally snapped out of it when the coach kicked them out of the office with various threats that involved baseball bats should they feel the need to desecrate the school halls with their teenaged hormones again.

"What the hell was that?" He hissed at Drew. "Are you out of your mind!"

Drew looked at him, and for the first time he noticed the redness of her eyes, the slightly bruised quality that couldn't be completely covered up by makeup, the smudges in her pink eyeliner.

He doesn't have to ask what she'd been doing in that out-of-order bathroom.

All at once, all the anger left him.

Nico sighed. "Drew? What's going on?"

"Oh, you know, just a girl drowning in the ocean, and holding on tightly to the rope that was thrown unexpectedly her way." She smiles at him, and this time it's a fragile thing, absent of everything he would usually associate with someone like Drew Tanaka. "Nico di Angelo, you're going to save my life."

Nico was silent for a moment. "I--"

"And all you have to do is date me."


End file.
